1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to the use of a supporting composition in cancer treatments and more particularly to administering an herbal composition together with chemotherapy or radiation therapy (or both) in the treatment of cancer.
2. Description of Related Art
Normal cells grow and divide in an orderly and controlled manner. Cancer is a disease where cells become abnormal (cancerous cells) and begin to multiply without control to develop into an extra mass of tissue called a tumor. These cancerous cells can invade nearby tissues and spread through the blood stream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.
Currently, the four primary types of cancer treatments are immunotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. These cancer treatments may be applied alone or in conjunction with one another. Thus a cancer patient may undergo one or more treatments at a time. A single treatment would span a period of time with therapies delivered at various timed intervals. Immunotherapy, also known as biological therapy or biological response modifier (BRM) therapy, tries to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune system to fight the disease. It is also used to lessen immune system related side effects that may be caused by some cancer treatments. Surgery seeks to directly remove the tumor from the body.
Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, uses high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors by damaging the cells' genetic material. While cancerous cells are damaged permanently and eventually die, normal cells that are damaged in radiation therapy are able to repair themselves. Side effects that can occur during radiation therapy are skin irritation and hair loss in the area being treated and damage to the bone marrow.
Chemotherapy uses cytotoxic drugs, alone or in combination, to destroy cancer cells. Just as in radiation therapy, cancer cells can be damaged and eventually die. But healthy cells affected in the process can repair themselves after the chemotherapy. Cytotoxic drugs work by interfering with the ability of a growing cell to divide and reproduce itself. Thus, in addition to cancerous cells, other normal fast-dividing growing cells can also be affected. There can be an effect on blood cells forming in the bone marrow causing bone marrow suppression. There can also be an effect on cells in the digestive tract, in the lining of the mouth and in the reproductive system causing diarrhea and mouth soreness, and an effect on hair follicles causing hair loss.
Bone marrow suppression is one of the many side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It results in reduced blood cell production, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Consequently, the patient will experience tiredness, from anemia, become more susceptible to infections, from leukopenia, and bruise easily and bleed more when getting a cut, from thrombocytopenia.
Drugs are used to counter the bone marrow suppression side effect. Epogen (Epoietin alpha) has been used to counter the side effect of anemia in cancer chemotherapy, and WinRho SD has been used to counter the side effect of thrombocytopenia.
Many of the treatments developed to coordinate with chemotherapy and radiation therapy to counter the side effect of leukopenia act on specific types of white blood cells, i.e. granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes. Neupogen is a recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor that stimulates the growth of neutrophils. Leukine is a recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor that stimulates the production of neutrophils and macrophages. In animal laboratories and clinical trials, various interleukins, secreted by T-lymphocytes, have been used to stimulate productions of various white blood cells in the course of chemotherapy. Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is responsible for B-cell and T-cell proliferation, Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is responsible for the proliferation, growth, and activation of B-cells and T-cells, Interleukin 15 (IL-15) appears to be required for natural killer cells (NK cells) and CD8+ Tcells.
Herbs have also been found to counter leukopenia side effect. For example, injection of extracts from Sophora flavescenes roots has been reported to have reduced leukopenia side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Also, injection of Unicaria tomentosa water extracts in rats experiencing leukopenia from chemotherapy led to an increase in white blood cells.